=== SageLink - SEO Internal Link Builder & Auto Linker ===
Plugin Name: SageLink - SEO Internal Link Builder & Auto Linker  
Author: Joseph Adediji
Contributors: josylad
Donate link: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/josylad
Tags: seo, internal links, automatic linking, link building, wordpress seo
Requires at least: 4.0
Tested up to: 6.8
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.1.0
License: GPLv3 or later
License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html

Automatically link keywords in your content to improve SEO and site structure. Smart internal linking for posts, pages, categories & tags.


== Description == 

**Transform your WordPress site's SEO with intelligent automatic internal linking!**

SageLink is the ultimate WordPress internal linking solution that **boosts your search engine rankings** by automatically creating smart internal links throughout your content. Perfect for bloggers, businesses, and SEO professionals who want to improve their site structure without manual linking work.

= 🚀 Key Features =

* **100% Automatic Linking** - Set it once, let it work forever
* **Smart Keyword Detection** - Automatically finds and links relevant keywords
* **Multi-Content Support** - Works with posts, pages, comments, and custom post types
* **Custom Post Type Support** - Link to WooCommerce products, portfolios, events, and more
* **Advanced Synonym Support** - Expand keyword matching with intelligent synonyms
* **Enhanced Blacklisting** - Exclude specific posts/pages or entire categories
* **Time-Based Link Rules** - Prefer linking to newer or older content with date filtering
* **Custom Keyword Mapping** - Define your own keyword-to-URL relationships
* **Link Limits & Controls** - Prevent over-linking with smart limits
* **SEO-Friendly Options** - Add nofollow, target="_blank", and more
* **Performance Optimized** - Uses caching for fast page loading
* **Bootstrap Admin Interface** - Clean, modern settings dashboard

= 🎯 Perfect For =

* **SEO Optimization** - Improve your site's internal link structure
* **Content Marketing** - Connect related articles automatically  
* **Affiliate Marketing** - Auto-link to affiliate products and pages
* **Blog Networks** - Maintain consistent internal linking across posts
* **E-commerce Sites** - Link product pages to categories and related items

= 💪 Advanced Linking Options =

* Link to **posts, pages, categories, tags, and custom post types**
* **Custom Post Type Integration** - WooCommerce products, portfolios, events, etc.
* **Intelligent Synonym Matching** - Auto-expand keywords with related terms
* **Smart Content Blacklisting** - Exclude specific posts/pages or entire categories
* **Time-Based Filtering** - Prefer newer/older content with date range controls
* **Custom keyword-to-URL mapping** for external links
* **Ignore words** to exclude common terms
* **Self-link prevention** to avoid linking to current page
* **Maximum links per post** control
* **Maximum links per keyword** limit

= 🔧 Easy Setup =

1. Install and activate
2. Configure your preferred settings  
3. Watch as SageLink automatically improves your site's SEO
4. Monitor your improved search rankings!

SageLink works seamlessly with all popular WordPress themes and is fully compatible with major SEO plugins like Yoast SEO and RankMath. 



== Installation ==

= Automatic Installation (Recommended) =
1. Go to your WordPress admin dashboard
2. Navigate to Plugins → Add New
3. Search for "SageLink SEO Internal Link Builder"
4. Click "Install Now" and then "Activate"
5. Go to Settings → SageLink to configure options

= Manual Installation =
1. Download the plugin zip file
2. Upload to /wp-content/plugins/ directory
3. Activate through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
4. Configure settings at Settings → SageLink

= After Installation =
1. Visit Settings → SageLink in your admin dashboard
2. Enable automatic linking for posts, pages, or comments
3. Select which content types to use as link targets (posts, pages, categories, tags)
4. Set your preferred limits and SEO options
5. Save settings and start seeing automatic internal links!


== Screenshots ==

1. SageLink admin dashboard 
2. Automatic linking configuration options  
3. Custom keyword-to-URL mapping interface
4. Link limits and SEO control settings


== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= How does SageLink improve my SEO? =
SageLink automatically creates internal links throughout your content, which helps search engines understand your site structure better. Internal links distribute page authority, reduce bounce rate, and help users discover more of your content, all of which are important SEO ranking factors.

= Will SageLink slow down my website? =
No! SageLink is performance-optimized and uses WordPress transient caching to store keyword data. The linking process is efficient and won't impact your site's loading speed.

= Can I control how many links are added? =
Absolutely! You can set maximum limits for total links per post and links per keyword to prevent over-linking, which maintains natural content flow and SEO best practices.

= Does SageLink work with my SEO plugin? =
Yes! SageLink is fully compatible with popular SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, RankMath, All in One SEO, and others. It works alongside these plugins to enhance your overall SEO strategy.

= Can I add my own custom keyword-to-URL mappings? =
Yes! The custom keyword mapping feature lets you define specific keywords that should link to particular URLs - perfect for affiliate links, important pages, or external resources.

= Will it link to the same page I'm currently viewing? =
Not if you enable the "Prevent self-linking" option! This smart feature prevents linking to the current post or page, maintaining better user experience and SEO practices.

= Can I exclude certain words from being linked? =
Yes! Use the "Ignore Words" feature to specify words or phrases that should never be automatically linked, giving you complete control over your linking strategy.

= Does it work with comments? =
Yes! You can enable automatic linking in comments as well as posts and pages, helping create a more interconnected site experience.

= What content types can SageLink link to? =
SageLink can automatically link to posts, pages, categories, tags, and custom post types (like WooCommerce products, portfolios, events, etc.). You can choose which content types to use as link targets based on your site's structure and SEO goals.

= Does SageLink work with WooCommerce and other custom post types? =
Yes! SageLink now supports custom post types, so you can automatically link to WooCommerce products, portfolio items, events, testimonials, or any other custom content type on your site.

= How does the synonym feature work? =
The synonym feature lets you define related terms that should link to the same target. For example, if you set "SEO: Search Engine Optimization, SERP", then both "Search Engine Optimization" and "SERP" will automatically link to the same page as "SEO".

= Can I exclude certain content from being linked? =
Absolutely! SageLink offers advanced blacklisting options. You can exclude specific posts/pages by ID, or blacklist entire categories so that posts in those categories won't be used as link targets.

= What are time-based link rules? =
Time-based rules let you control linking based on content publication dates. You can prefer linking to newer content (great for news sites), older evergreen content, or set date ranges to only link to content published within a specific timeframe.

= Is there a limit to how many keywords I can add? =
No artificial limits! You can add as many custom keywords as needed. The plugin efficiently handles large keyword lists using smart caching mechanisms.


== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.1.0 =
Major feature update! New custom post type support, advanced synonym matching, enhanced blacklisting, and time-based link rules. Perfect for WooCommerce sites and advanced SEO strategies!

= 1.0.0 =
Initial release of SageLink - the ultimate WordPress internal linking automation plugin. Install now to start boosting your SEO with intelligent automatic internal links!

== Changelog ==

= 1.1.0 – 28.09.2025 =
* 🚀 **NEW:** Custom Post Type Support - Link to WooCommerce products, portfolios, events, and more
* 🚀 **NEW:** Advanced Synonym Support - Expand keyword matching with intelligent synonyms
* 🚀 **NEW:** Enhanced Blacklisting - Exclude specific posts/pages by ID or entire categories
* 🚀 **NEW:** Time-Based Link Rules - Prefer newer/older content with date range filtering
* ✅ Improved settings interface with organized sections
* ✅ Enhanced caching system for better performance
* ✅ Full backward compatibility with existing settings
* ✅ Comprehensive documentation and examples

= 1.0.0 – 15.08.2025 =
* 🚀 Initial release of SageLink SEO Internal Link Builder
* ✅ Automatic internal linking for posts, pages, and comments
* ✅ Smart keyword detection and linking
* ✅ Custom keyword-to-URL mapping functionality
* ✅ Link limits and controls (max links per post/keyword)
* ✅ SEO-friendly options (nofollow, target="_blank")
* ✅ Self-link prevention feature
* ✅ Ignore words functionality
* ✅ Performance-optimized with caching
* ✅ Bootstrap-powered admin interface
* ✅ Compatible with Yoast SEO, RankMath, and other SEO plugins
